- Chios Lion, a Liberia-flagged oil tanker was struck on its port side on Tuesday
- Assault was part of a swarm of attacks by Houthis on ships in the Red Sea
- Rebels said attack was retaliation for Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis in Gaza
Dramatic footage shows the moment Houthi rebels took aim at a crude oil tanker in the Red Sea before causing the hapless vessel to burst into flames.
Chios Lion, a Liberia-flagged oil tanker was struck on its port side during the attack on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
The Yemen-based Houthi group has been targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the last nine months, claiming its actions are in direct response to Israel‘s war on Hamas in Gaza – an assertion that has been repeatedly dismissed by the UK and its allies.
An unmanned watercraft is said to have carried out the attack, though only minor damage has been reported.
Dramatic footage shows the moment Houthi rebels took aim at a crude oil tanker in the Red Sea before causing the hapless vessel to burst into flames
Chios Lion, a Liberia-flagged oil tanker was struck on its port side during the attack on Tuesday
The assault was part of a swarm of attacks by the Houthis on the vessel and another ship sailing around 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah
The assault was part of a swarm of attacks by the Houthis on the vessel and another ship sailing around 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.
In the aftermath of the incident, officials are assessing the damage and investigating a potential oil spill, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said on Tuesday.
‘While originally headed south, following the attack the vessel turned around and back north out of the threat area to further assess damage and investigate potential oil spillage,’ the JMIC said in a statement.
It added that the captain and crew were safe.
The manager of Chios Lion did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted Chios Lion and Bentley I with ballistic missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats.
Since November, Houthi attacks have exacted an economic toll on global trade by forcing ship owners to route vessels away from the Suez Canal shortcut and toward the longer, more expensive route around Africa.
They also pose a risk to the environment in the form of spilled cargo such as oil and fertilizer, as well as fuel used to power vessels.
The Yemen-based Houthi group has been targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the last nine months, claiming its actions are in direct response to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza. Pictured: Houthi supporters in May